Ironer canopy

ABSTRACT

A canopy for a roll-type ironer as a top rectangular frame and corner frame structures all bolted together in a knock-down arrangement to permit compact shipment and easy assembly at the place of use. Each corner structure is provided with slanting walls at right angles to each other forming side wall portions of the canopy. Between these side wall portions are rectangular panels hinged to the top frame. The panels are made of one or more modules depending on the number of rolls in the ironer, and have counter balance arms with counterweights which move downwardly level with the top of the canopy as the panels are swung outwardly into horizontal open positions. In one embodiment the counterweights are positioned to bias the panels over-center into open and closed positions and the panels are open and closed by hand; and in a second embodiment the counterweights are positioned to bias the panels closed and the panels are opened in unison by a power lift.

I nited States Patent 1191 Jackson Oct. 29, 1974 [54] IRONER CANOPY 3,577,691 5/1971 Persson 52 1 [75'] Inventor: lzalph Eugene Jackson, Covmgton, Primary ExaminermFrank L. Abbott Assistant Exammer-Henry Raduazo [73] Ass1gnee: McGraw-Edison Company, Elgin, Attorney, Agent, or Firm-George H. Fritzinger 22 Filed: Dec. 12, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT 52/69 [51] Int. Cl E04b l/344 [58] Field of Search 52/1, 68, 69; 49/104, 110,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 337,180 3/1886 McCoy 375,532 12/1887 Clinton 49/387 794,968 7/1905 Baldwin 1 39/387 1,328,584 1/1920 Noonan 49/104 I 1,544,751 7/1925 Haynes 49/104 1,651,391 12/1927 l-lolysz 49/104 2,084,648 6/1937 MacMi1lar1.... 52/648 2,255,185 9 1941 Phalen 5'2/69 3,330,081 7/1967 Love 52/262 3,373,533 3/1968 Trelfa 52/82 Appl. No.: 314,413

US. Cl 49/115, 49/200, 47/378,

A canopy for a roll-type ironer as a top rectangular frame and corner frame structures all bolted together in a knock-down arrangement to permit compact shipment and easy assembly at the place of use. Each corner structure is provided with slanting walls at right angles to each other forming side wall portions of the canopy. Between these side wall portions are rectangular panels hinged to the top frame. The panels are made of one or more modules depending on the number of rolls in the ironer, and have counter balance arms with counterweights which move downwardly level with the top of the canopy as the panels are swung outwardly into horizontal open positions. In one embodiment the counterweights are positioned-t0 bias the panels over-center into open and closed positions and the panels are open and closed by hand; and

in a second embodiment the counterweights are positioned to bias the panels closed and the panels are opened in unison by a power lift.

4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEBunTzsmm 0 18441063 j NEH 20F Q OZFWDOI wnim mwZOm: nah

PATENTEBHN 29 I974 CLOSED POSITION FAIR VALVE AIR wur \42 CLOSED OPEN 1 IRONER CANOPY An object of the invention is to provide an ironer canopy of improved functional design and of an improved knock-down construction.

Another object is to provide such improved canopy comprising a top rectangular frame and corner frame structures each having two segmental triangular wall sections at right angles forming a corner portion of adjoining side walls of the canopy.

Another object is to provide each corner structure with slanting wall sections and with an angle iron leg both secured by two bolts to a corresponding corner portion of the top frame with a single screw securing the lower portion of the leg to one of the slanting wall sections.

Another object is to provide such improved construe tion of ironer canopy wherein a single side panel hinged to the top rectangular frame bridges the space between each pair of corner structures.

Another object is to provide such canopy wherein each side panel comprises one or more modules depending on the number of rolls of the ironer.

Another object is to provide each side panel with counter balance arms extending upwardly above the canopy for movement downwardly into a position level with the top of the canopy when the panel is swungoutwardly into a horizontal open position.

Another object is to provide the canopy with manually operable panels provided with counterweights which bias the panels over-center into open and closed positions. v

Another object is to providethe panels with counterweights which bias the panels closed and to provide a single power lift which opens all of the side panels in unison when the power lift is actuated and which allows the panels to return to closed positions when actuating power is cut off from the lift.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a fractional oblique perspective view of a canopy according to the invention for a roll ironer;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view to greatly reduced scale showing the canopy in relation to the ironer rolls.

FIG. 3 is an angular perspective view of this canopy as seen from the level with the top of the canopy;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a corner portion of the canopy with parts in horizontal section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. -5 is a side elevational view of the power lift for the side panels shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of FIG. 3 as seen with the side panel closed;

FIG. 7 is a fractional section the same as FIG. 6 but with the side panel open,

FIG. 8 is an exploded view the canopy; and

FIG. 9 is a lower perspective view of a corner portion of the top frame.

The ironer canopy shown in the accompanying drawings has a top rectangular frame l0 comprising side and end angle irons 11a and 11b secured at the corners into of one corner section of a rigid structure. Secured to the corners of the frame 10 are corner structures 12 each including a corner portion of the adjoining side walls of the canopy and a leg 13 of angle iron form in line with the end angle iron of the frame. Each angle iron leg 13 comprises an upper horizontal section 13a bolted to the frame 10 as later described, a downwardly inclined side wall section 13b and a lower vertical leg section 13c. Each leg is formed by notching one side thereof at the joints between these sections, bending the other side to close the notches and then welding together the abutting edges.

The corner wall portion of each corner structure 12:

is of a segmental pyramidal shape comprising a first segmental triangular wall 14 mounted against the inclined section 13b of the leg 13, and a second segmental triangular section 15 bent at right angles to the sec tion 14 on an inclined line that is at the same angle with the vertical. The outer edges 14a and 15a of these corner wall sections are recessed and square with the frame 10. A reenforcing gusset 12G is welded into the inside corner. (FIGS. 4 and 8). Inset in the top part of each corner structure against the top rim of the wall sections 14 and 15 and of the recessed portions 14a and 15a is a corner plate C welded in place flush with the top of the wall sections. The side angle irons 11a of the frame 10 have threaded studs B butt welded thereto (FIGS. 4 and 9) which depend therefrom near the ends thereof, and the end angle irons 11b have corner portions of the bottom side thereof cut away at A (FIG. 9) to accomodate the end portions of the adjoining side angle irons 11a and likewise have threaded studs B welded thereto. The studs B pass through holes in the corner plates C and through corresponding holes in the horizontal portions 13a of the legs 13. Threaded onto the ends of these studs are nuts which are drawn tight against lock washers to secure the frame 10 at each corner to a corner structure 12 and to the top part of the respective leg 13. As so secured together each leg 13 is in line with the respective end angle iron 11b (FIG. 4). Additionally, the lower part of each inclined section 13b of each leg is secured by a screw S to the wall section 14.

Spanning the distance along the sides of the canopy between the successive wall sections 14 of the corner structures 12, through the height of each section wall corner is a side panel 16 secured by hinges 17 at its upper edge to the side angle irons 11a of the frame 10, and likewise spanning the distance along the ends of the canopy between the successive wall sections 15 is a side panel 18 secured by hinges 19 at its upper edge to the end angle irons 11b of the frame 10. These side panels are rectangularly shaped and have side edges 16a and 18a respectively engaging the recessed side edges 14a and 15a of the corner wall sections 14 and 15. The side panels are weight biased into closed posi-' tions wherein they engage the recessed edges 14a and 15a of the corner wall sections 14 and 15 and are coplanar with the corner sections to provide the canopy with uniformly slanted side walls over the full length of each side thereof from the topof the frame 10 down to the leg portions 130. Preferably, inner magnetic plates P are mounted on the corner portions of the side panels to detent the panels in closed positions. (FIG. 8).

The side panels are made of rectangular modules each designated by the number of the panel with the r I suffix M. This is done to enable the canopies tobe built to meet varying lengths of ironers with the use of standard modules. The modules may be of full size with two windows 40 and/or half size with one window 40. For example, the ends of the canopy running parallel with the ironer rolls 41 (FIG. 2) are standard, each comprising two full sized modules 18m with four windows 40 overall. The sides of the canopy may comprise one or more modules of a total number of windows equal to the number of ironer rolls less one. Thus, as shown in H0. 2, a S-roll ironer has two full sized modules with four windows. The top of the canopy may be open except for cross-bracing 20 (HO. 6) as when the canopy is used only as a safety means to safeguard workers from the rotating ironer rolls. However, whenever the canopy is employed also to improve environmental working conditions it is provided with a closed roof or deck 21 and an exhaust fan 22. Such fan may be mounted within a stack 23 upstanding from the roof 21 and driven by a motor 24 mounted via a bracket 25 at the side of the stack. During operation, heat and vapor are exhausted via the stack together with air drawn at the bottom of the canopy. As shown in FIG. 2 the canopy legs 13c rest on the ironer side frames 46 which support the ironer rolls 47. The ironer has a sidehousing 48 reaching nearly to the bottom of the canopy on each side. At each end, colling air is drawn in at 26 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and exhausted by the fan 22.

Each module 16m and 18m of the side panels is provided with two counter balance arms 27 and 28 which extend upwardly past the hinges l7 and 19 but with sufficient displacement from the panels provided by the right-angle end portions 27a and 28a to clear the sides and ends of the frame 10 when the panels are swung upwardly into wide open positions wherein they are level with the horizontal. Mounted adjustably on each pair of counter balance arms 27-28 is a counterweight 29. When the side panels are to be opened and closed manually, the weights ,are mounted on a radius line from the hinge ofthe panel to subtend an angle with the plane of the panel which is greater than the angle of the panel with the vertical when the panel is closed. Thus, each counterweight is swung over center relative to the hinge axis of the panel to bias the panel closed as the panel is lowered and is moved past the hinge to bias the panel open when the panel is raised. Further, by this arrangement the counterbalance arms are moved into abutment with the top ofthe canopy when the side panels are in open horizontal positions. (FIG. 7) In an alternative embodiment wherein the panels are power lifted into open positions, as by an air cylinder 30 coupled to the respective panels by cables 31 led from the air cylinder around guide pulleys 32 to the respective panels, (FIGS. 1 and 5) the counterweights 29 are shifted inwardly along the respective counterweight arms 27-28 via slots 33 in the arms received by screws 34 in the weights so that the side panels are biased closed throughout the full range of their movement. The air cylinder 30 has a piston with an extending rod 35 and top plate 36 secured at 90 intervals to the four cables 31 which connect to respective rings 38. Through each ring runs a cable 39 connected at the ends to the two counterweights 29 at the respective corner of the canopy. When a knob of an air valve 51 is pulled out, air is fed into the cylinder 30 at the bottom from an air supply via a check valve 42, air valve 51 and tube 43 to drive the piston of the cylinder 30 upwardly and raise all panels in unison into open positions. When the knob 50 is pressed inwardly the air is fed via a tube 43a into the top of the cylinder 30 to drive the piston downwardly and lower the panels into closed positions. In each case air is exhausted from either port 44 or 45. These exhaust ports have needle valves adjustable to control the rate of movement of the panels. The inlet check valve 42 is adapted to retain the panels in open positions if say during the night the air supply is cut off to service other equipment.

The embodiment of my invention herein particularly shown and described is intended to be illustrative and not necessarily limitative of my invention since the same is subject to chanes and modifications without departure from changes scope of my invention, which I endeavor to express according to the following claims.

1 claim:

1. An ironer canopy comprising an upper rectangular frame of angle iron construction, corner leg supports of angle iron contruction each comprising an upper horizontal portion secured to said rectangular frame, an outwardly and downwardly inclined side wall portion and a bottom mounting portion, corner side-wall structures secure to the respective corner portions of said frame each comprising a first segmental triangular wall section secured to the inclined side-wall portion of the respective leg support and an integral second segmental triangular wall section at right angles to said first wall section and at the same inclination to the vertical, and inclined side-wall panels between said corner sidewall structures hinged at the top of the panels to said rectangular frame to provide said canopy with inclined walls on all sides extending from said upper rectangular frame down to said bottom mounting portions when said side-wall panels are closed and with said sides open from corner structure to corner structure when said side-wall panels are open.

2. A ironer canopy comprising a pair of parallel side angle irons and a pair of parallel end angle irons forming a top rectangular frame, said angle irons being mounted so that each has one vertical outer side and one horizontal inner side, corner structures each comprising two upright segmental triangular wall sections at right angles to each other and a depending leg support, said wall sections of each corner structure having a top part with top edges, an apertured corner plate welded into said top part of each corner structure flush with said top edges thereof, the respective leg support of each corner structure having an apertured upper horizontal section seated against the underside of the respective corner plate, one pair of said frame angle irons having depending bolts near the ends thereof passing through apertures in said corner plates and upper leg sections and the other pair of said frame angle irons having the inner sides thereof cut away to accomodate the inner sides of said one angle irons and having depending bolts near the ends thereof passing through other apertures in said corner plates and upper leg sections whereby to secure detachably said frame angle irons, segmental wall sections and leg supports into a rigid knock-down structure.

3. An ironer canopy comprising a rectangular frame structure adapted to be mounted over an ironer, side panels having the upper portion thereof hinged to the upper part of said frame structure for pivotal movement between raised-open positions and lower-closed positions, counter-balance arms extending from said panels past the upper hinged edges thereof and past the top of said frame structure, counterweights on said arms counter balancing the weight of said side panels, the panels and weight together being biased to a closed position throughout their range of travel, a top deck carried by said frame, and power means mounted centrally on said deck including a set of cables coupling said power means to said respective side panels, and guide pulleys mounted on said deck for directing said respective cables to cause all of said side panels to be raised in unison to open positions as said power means is actuated and to be closed in unison when the power means is cut off.

4. A canopy for an ironer comprising a rectangular frame structure including corner structures supporting said frame structure above the ironer, a top deck on said frame structure, side walls between said corner structures each comprising a pair of individual side panels hinged at the top to said frame structure, coungether being biased to a closed position, an air cylinder mounted centrally on said top deck and having a piston rod movable vertically back and forth under manual control, and a coupling means between said air cylinder and said side panels comprising four main cables connected to the upper end of said piston rod above said deck, guide pulleys on said deck at the base of said air cylinder for directing said respective main cables from said air cylinder towards said corner structures, individual cables connected to said respective side panels, and means connecting the individual cables for each pair of side panels adjacent each corner structure to the respective main cable whereby four cable connections are made to said piston rod in balance causing all of said side panels to be raised in unison to open positions as said piston rod is propelled upwardly and allowing all of said side panels to return by said counterweight means to closed positions as said piston rod is propelled terweight means on each side panel counter balancing downwardly.

the weight of said side panels the panels and weight to- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,844,063 Dated October 29, 1974 Inventor(s) Eugene Jackson It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Abstract, line 1, "as" should read has In Column 3; line 26, "colling" should read; cooling In Column 4, line 14, "changes" should read the. line 24, "secure" should read secured Signed; and sealed this 14th day of January 1975.

(SEAL) Attest: r i v MCCOY M. GIBSONJR. c. MARSHALL DANN a Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents =ORM PO-IOSO (10-59) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 r us. GOVERNMENT PRINTING orncs "l9 o-ass-su, 

1. An ironer canopy comprising an upper rectangular frame of angle iron construction, corner leg supports of angle iron contruction each comprising an upper horizontal portion secured to said rectangular frame, an outwardly and downwardly inclined side wall portion and a bottom mounting portion, corner side-wall structures secure to the respective corner portions of said frame each comprising a first segmental triangular wall section secured to the inclined side-wall portion of the respective leg support and an integral second segmental triangular wall section at right angles to said first wall section and at the same inclination to the vertical, and inclined side-wall panels between said corner side-wall structures hinged at the top of the panels to said rectangular frame to provide said canopy with inclined walls on all sides extending from said upper rectangular frame down to said bottom mounting portions when said side-wall panels are closed and with said sides open from corner structure to corner structure when said side-wall panels are open.
 2. A ironer canopy comprising a pair of parallel side angle irons and a pair of parallel end angle irons forming a top rectangular frame, said angle irons being mounted so that each has one vertical outer side and one horizontal inner side, corner structures each comprising two upright segmental triangular wall sections at right angles to each other and a depending leg support, said wall sections of each corner structure having a top part with top edges, an apertured corner plate welded into said top part of each corner structure flush with said top edges thereof, the respective leg support of each corner structure having an apertured upper horizontal section seated against the underside of the respective corner plate, one pair of said frame angle irons having depending bolts near the ends thereof passing through apertures in said corner plates and upper leg sections and the other pair of said frame angle irons having the inner sides thereof cut away to accomodate the inner sides of said one angle irons and having depending bolts near the ends thereof passing through other apertures in said corner plates and upper leg sections whereby to secure detachably said frame angle irons, segmental wall sections and leg supports into a rigid knock-down structure.
 3. An ironer canopy comprising a rectangular frame structure adapted to be mounted over an ironer, side panels having the upper portion thereof hinged to the upper part of said frame structure for pivotal movement between raised-open positions and lower-closed positions, counter-balance arms extending from said panels past the upper hinged edges thereof and past the top of said frame structure, counterweights on said arms counter balancing the weight of said side panels, the panels and weight together being biased to a closed position throughout their range of travel, a top deck carried by said frame, and power means mounted centrally on said deck including a set of cables coupling said power means to said respective side panels, and guide pulleys mounted on sAid deck for directing said respective cables to cause all of said side panels to be raised in unison to open positions as said power means is actuated and to be closed in unison when the power means is cut off.
 4. A canopy for an ironer comprising a rectangular frame structure including corner structures supporting said frame structure above the ironer, a top deck on said frame structure, side walls between said corner structures each comprising a pair of individual side panels hinged at the top to said frame structure, counterweight means on each side panel counter balancing the weight of said side panels the panels and weight together being biased to a closed position, an air cylinder mounted centrally on said top deck and having a piston rod movable vertically back and forth under manual control, and a coupling means between said air cylinder and said side panels comprising four main cables connected to the upper end of said piston rod above said deck, guide pulleys on said deck at the base of said air cylinder for directing said respective main cables from said air cylinder towards said corner structures, individual cables connected to said respective side panels, and means connecting the individual cables for each pair of side panels adjacent each corner structure to the respective main cable whereby four cable connections are made to said piston rod in balance causing all of said side panels to be raised in unison to open positions as said piston rod is propelled upwardly and allowing all of said side panels to return by said counterweight means to closed positions as said piston rod is propelled downwardly. 